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Sōsuke Aizen
"}} "The gaze into the sun." - Tite Kubo is the former captain of the 5th Division in the Gotei 13. He later leaves Soul Society with his followers, Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tōsen. His lieutenant was Momo Hinamori. After waging war against Soul Society with an army of Arrancar, Aizen was defeated by Ichigo Kurosaki and sealed away by Kisuke Urahara, and then imprisoned for his crimes. Appearance .]] Prior to his departure from Soul Society, Aizen appeared as a mild-featured man with brown scholarly hair enhanced by square glasses, along with soft brown eyes. He wore the standard Shinigami uniform with a captain's haori.Bleach manga; Chapter 79, pages 9-10 During his ascent to Hueco Mundo, he removed his glasses and swept his hand through his hair, revealing menacing eyes and a very different hairstyle; his hair is now swept back, with a strand hanging down his face.Bleach manga; Chapter 178, pages 15-17 In Hueco Mundo, Aizen initially wears Arrancar clothes over his shihakushō.Bleach manga; Chapter 198, page 8 After Orihime Inoue is taken to Las Noches, Aizen wears full clothing similar in style to the Arrancar, complete with a pink sash around the waist.Bleach manga; Chapter 244, page 18 Upon his defeat by Ichigo Kurosaki, Aizen loses all of the physical changes made by his transformation and returns to the physical form he had prior to transforming.Bleach manga; Chapter 421, pages 9-10 Personality Aizen is a polite, soft-spoken intellectual, often addressing his subordinates by their given names.Bleach manga; Chapter 197, page 19''Bleach'' manga; Chapter 198, pages 1 & 8''Bleach'' manga; Chapter 213, page 9''Bleach'' manga; Chapter 255, page 7 He rarely shows any sign of alarm or distress, and often has entire situations planned out well in advance. Whenever confronted, Aizen is casual and uncaring, attempting to draw out a conversation and make small talk, which often infuriates those he is talking to.Bleach manga; Chapter 170, pages 7-15''Bleach'' manga; Chapter 383, pages 12-17''Bleach'' manga; Chapter 296, pages 14-20''Bleach'' manga; Chapter 394, pages 4-17 Aizen initially appeared to be a very kind, well-respected captain and was looked up to by many, especially his lieutenant, Momo Hinamori.Bleach Official Bootleg, page 91 However, this was just a mask to disguise his manipulative, and very dangerous, nature.Bleach manga; Chapter 173, page 7 In truth, he cares very little for his underlings, and is willing to use almost everyone around him as pawns to achieve his goals. He is willing to stop at nothing to further his selfish ambitions, including manipulating or killing anyone if he deems it to be necessary.Bleach manga; Chapter 169, page 16''Bleach'' manga; Chapter 170, pages 22-23 He frequently toys with his underlings for amusement.Bleach manga; Chapter 169, pages 11-15''Bleach'' manga; Chapter 213, pages 9-13 During his time as a captain, Aizen liked tofu, but he disliked boiled eggs. In his free time, he often read, and he gave a special lecture of calligraphy at the Shin'ō Academy because he excelled in this branch of arts. This optional course was immensely popular among the Shinigami students, and many of them felt great sorrow at Aizen's sudden departure.Bleach Official Bootleg As the commander of his army of Arrancar, Aizen controls his minions through acquired respect or fear. Ulquiorra Cifer revealed to Orihime Inoue that they are all there to further Aizen's ambitions.Bleach manga; Chapter 248, pages 3-4 Aizen keeps more rowdy individuals like Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez in line through intimidation and mind games.Bleach manga; Chapter 213, pages 9-16''Bleach'' manga; Chapter 245, pages 8-11 The Arrancar Aisslinger Wernarr claims the Arrancar follow him because he has no fear, something which beings born from fear and despair find inspiring.Bleach manga; Chapter 244, pages 5-6 Gin Ichimaru has some sense of Aizen's emotions and feelings, correctly pointing out Aizen was enjoying the invasion by Ichigo and his friends and their successes within Las Noches, which Aizen himself confirmed,Bleach manga; Chapter 255, pages 11-12 and noting Aizen was surprised by the arrival of Momo during the battle of Fake Karakura Town.Bleach manga; Chapter 334, page 3 In contrast, Kaname Tōsen has shown no such understanding, and has fallen victim to one of Aizen's more minor mind games when Aizen subtly manipulated him into punishing Grimmjow for him while Aizen himself kept up his appearance of benevolence.Bleach manga; Chapter 213, pages 9-16 Aizen's true objective was to overthrow the king of Soul Society. As he and his fellow traitor captains were departing from the Soul Society, he told 13th Division Captain Jūshirō Ukitake "no one has stood on the top of the world", not even the gods, but he aspires to "stand on the heavens and end the unbearable vacancy on the world's throne".Bleach manga; Chapter 178, pages 15-17 According to Kisuke Urahara, since mastering the Hōgyoku, Aizen has become less cautious in battle, for Aizen would not have allowed Urahara to use level 90 Kidō before he subdued the Hōgyoku. Aizen admits his new powers allow him to let his guard down.Bleach manga; Chapter 402, pages 16-18 Due to this newfound power, Aizen has developed an arrogant and overconfident attitude, often not even thinking his attacks or defense through any longer like he used to, or even bothering to find out the effects of his opponents' and his own attacks. In his newest form, he has developed a severe superiority complex, believing he is now above both Shinigami and Hollows.Bleach manga; Chapter 418, page 9 Because of his superior attitude and high intelligence, Aizen is easily enraged when facing something or someone which he does not understand; for example, when witnessing Ichigo Kurosaki use Saigo no Getsuga Tenshō, Aizen becomes furious because he is unable to comprehend how a Human has surpassed him.Bleach manga; Chapter 420, pages 15-16 History Plot Soul Society arc Arrancar arc .]] From there, Aizen changes his clothing style to resemble the Arrancar, and begins to create several Arrancar. At some point, he finds Coyote Starrk and Lilynette Gingerbuck and is impressed by the mountain of dead Hollows nearby. When Aizen asks Starrk if the Hollows were killed by him, Starrk tells him the Hollows just died. When Aizen makes an offer to Starrk to join him as an ally, Starrk believes Aizen to be strong and agrees to join him.Bleach manga; Chapter 375, pages 4-7 Later, Aizen sends Grand Fisher and two other powerful Hollows to the Human World.Bleach manga; Chapters 184, pages 15-19 Grand Fisher is killed by Isshin Kurosaki,Bleach manga; Chapter 187, pages 18-20 and the other two Hollows are killed by Ryūken Ishida.Bleach manga; Chapter 186, pages 4-9 Isshin and Urahara theorize Aizen sent these pseudo-Arrancar to the Human World to look for information on Ichigo.Bleach manga; Chapter 188, pages 10-14 Later, Aizen sends Ulquiorra Cifer and Yammy Llargo to find Ichigo and report on his progress. They almost kill Tatsuki Arisawa, Yasutora Sado, and Orihime Inoue, and Yammy manages to kill a large amount of people in the park.Bleach manga; Chapters 191-194 After the mission is completed, Ulquiorra and Yammy head to a meeting consisting of Aizen and 20 other Arrancar (including fellow Espada members Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez and Tier Harribel). Ulquiorra uses Solita Vista to show what he has seen to the others and Aizen. After Grimmjow and Shawlong Koufang question Ulquiorra and Yammy on why they just did not kill them as ordered, Aizen states he is impressed with Ulquiorra's work.Bleach manga; Chapters 197-198 Later, Grimmjow and his Fracción (Shawlong, Edrad Liones, Nakeem Grindina, Yylfordt Granz, and Di Roy Rinker) invade Karakura Town without orders, prompting Kaname Tōsen to travel there, bring back Grimmjow (his Fracción were killed during their unauthorized mission), and punish Grimmjow himself when Aizen refuses to take action.Bleach manga; Chapter 213, pages 11-17 Later, after examining Orihime's powers, Aizen decides to initiate another invasion on Karakura Town, letting Ulquiorra pick the members of the invasion force, though Aizen personally sends Grimmjow as well. Ulquiorra, Grimmjow, Yammy, Luppi Antenor, and Wonderweiss Margela go to invade Karakura Town to capture Orihime.Bleach manga; Chapter 299, pages 13-18 Ulquiorra succeeds in forcing Orihime to join Aizen's side and brings her to Las Noches, where he has her display her power by restoring Grimmjow's amputated left arm and reveals to the Arrancar present how Orihime's powers are rejection, meaning she can "reject" anything which has happened.Bleach manga; Chapters 236-240 Hueco Mundo arc Calling the Espada to a meeting, Aizen invites them to have some tea.Bleach manga; Chapter 244, pages 14-19 As they are drinking their tea, Aizen reveals to them the presence of Ichigo, Uryū, and Sado. When the Espada begin to dismiss the group as not dangerous, Aizen warns them to not underestimate the trio and reveals their exploits in Soul Society. When Aizen identifies Orihime as the missing member of their group and states they have come to rescue her, Grimmjow begins to leave and states he is going to go eradicate the threat in Aizen's name. Stopping him, Aizen resorts to intimidating Grimmjow with his Reiatsu when the latter hesitates to back down. As Grimmjow is brought to his knees by Aizen's immense Reiatsu, Aizen tells the other Espada to return to their palaces and wait patiently. Telling them not to be overconfident, Aizen says they do not to be afraid because no one can defeat them as long as they are with him.Bleach manga; Chapter 245, pages 1-12 At one point, Aizen has Orihime brought to his room by Loly Aivirrne and Menoly Mallia. After sending the two Arrancar away, Aizen shows Orihime the Hōgyoku. Asking Orihime to interpret him showing her the Hōgyoku as a sign of his trust in her, Aizen asks Orihime to use Sōten Kisshun to undo some minor damage which has occurred to the Hōgyoku from being repeatedly reawakened.Bleach manga; Chapter 249, pages 12-16 Following the arrival of Ichigo and company at Las Noches, Aizen is informed of Dordoni Alessandro Del Socaccio's death by a messenger. Unsurprised by Dordoni's demise, Aizen expresses surprise at Ichigo struggling against him. Cornering the messenger by catching him in a lie of omission, Aizen demands to know who sent the Exequias after Dordoni. When the messenger does not answer, Szayelaporro Granz intervenes and reveals he is the one who did so before begging Aizen's forgiveness, which Aizen grants him. As Szayelaporro turns to leave, Aizen tells him to make his reports more thorough next time, shocking Szayelaporro, before asking him if the Reiatsu record he obtained from Dordoni will aid in his research. Confirming this, Szayelaporro leaves. Following his departure, Gin, who had been present in with Aizen the entire time, asks Aizen if he is enjoying himself even though his subordinates are losing, prompting Aizen to confess the emotion he is feeling at the moment is akin to enjoyment.Bleach manga; Chapter 255, pages 01-12 After Aaroniero Arruruerie, Szayelaporro, Zommari Rureaux, Grimmjow, and Nnoitra Gilga are defeated by Ichigo, his friends, and the invading Shinigami captains, Aizen has Coyote Starrk bring Orihime to him. Telling Orihime to smile and wait where she is while they go and destroy Karakura Town, Aizen has Tōsen use Bakudō #77. Tenteikūra. Using this, Aizen reveals his true motivation behind the capture of Orihime to Ichigo and the others: by kidnapping Orihime, he inspired Ichigo and his friends to attempt a rescue, thereby depriving Soul Society of a valuable military asset, and when four captains assisted in her rescue, adding to the three which had already defected, Soul Society was left at half its regular strength, so he and his forces are now ready to attack. Leaving with Gin, Tōsen, Tier Harribel, Baraggan Louisenbairn, Starrk, and their Fracción to invade Karakura Town, Aizen leaves Las Noches in the hands of Ulquiorra.Bleach manga; Chapter 314, pages 8-14 Fake Karakura Town arc }} The Thousand-Year Blood War arc During the Wandenreich's invasion of Soul Society, Yhwach reveals Aizen was being held underneath the First Division, where he offered him a position in their army as a Special War Power, only to be refused by the prisoner.Bleach manga; Chapter 510, pages 8-9 Subsequently, Yhwach discovers he lost track of time during his meeting with Aizen.Bleach manga; Chapter 514, page 12 Later, after the death of the Soul King, Kyōraku visits Aizen in his underground prison and asks Aizen to respond to him.Bleach manga; Chapter 616, pages 16-17 Upon hearing no response, Kyōraku determines that either Aizen is against conversation, or the seals placed on him restrict his ability to speak. He then begins using keys that can unlock his seals, noting that he can only use up to three of them, and he starts by unlocking the seal over his mouth.Bleach manga; Chapter 617, pages 13-14 After unlocking the seal over Aizen's mouth, Kyōraku states that most people who have had their mouths sealed for two years wouldn't be able to talk right away, but it would not be the same case for Aizen. Aizen verbally agrees with Kyōraku, and proceeds to walk towards him. Kyōraku is shocked to find Aizen removing other seals on his own, despite the one over his mouth being the only one unlocked, and Aizen notes that he still has two keys left to use.Bleach manga; Chapter 617, pages 17-18 When Shunsui unlocks his left eye and ankles, Aizen notes he has not changed at all, which Shunsui decides to take as a compliment. Aizen states he never asked Shunsui to free him and asks him why he came down here with keys if he had no intention of doing this, prompting Shunsui to reveal he had to store the keys within his own body and could only use three of them. Hearing this, Aizen realizes that Central 46 predicted he would attempt to take the keys by killing Shunsui, which would trap him in Muken forever. As Shunsui asks Aizen to get in the seat behind him so they can go to the surface, an attendant attempts to bind Aizen once more, only to have his hands partially destroyed by Aizen's Reiatsu. Aizen explains how the binding only limits his Reiatsu's range instead of sealing it completely before asking Shunsui if he intends to have Aizen lend his power to the Gotei 13. When Shunsui states they are simply in the same predicament, Aizen wonders what kind of fresh air he could breathe if Yhwach is already done with Soul Society.Bleach manga; Chapter 618, pages 2-8 Soon afterward, as black creatures begin pouring into the Seireitei, Aizen is brought to the surface, and the other Shinigami notice his presence as his Reiatsu begins crushing the creatures. Aizen mocks the Shinigami for trying to destroy the creatures with their Zanpakutō before instructing them to crush them with Reiatsu as he is doing.Bleach manga; Chapter 621, pages 16-17 Upon seeing the shocked faces of Rukia and Renji, Aizen mockingly greets them and congratulates Rukia for being promoted to the role of lieutenant within the 13th Division, suggesting it was good that her abilities were finally being recognized. When Rukia becomes enraged about his presence, he calmly reveals that Kyōraku had released him.Bleach manga; Chapter 622, pages 1-3 When the argument between the other members of the Gotei 13 subsides, Aizen politely asks Kyōraku to undo the seals binding him to the chair but Kyōraku insists that he cannot do that, which causes Aizen to query why he won't. When Kyōraku reminds him that he is only permitted to remove three of Aizen's seals, the former Captain sighs, commenting that he is expected to stop Yhwach from a chair, suggesting that he won't have the power to do this while restrained. Kyōraku asserts that he knows Aizen can do something about the monsters attacking and in response, Aizen uses Hadō #90. Kurohitsugi in a devastating blast that causes the other Shinigami to flee suddenly into the laboratory. When the dust from the destruction settles, Aizen reveals that he is surprised that the chair he is bound to was able to survive the blast intact. He decides to bring down the Soul King Palace by using his Reiatsu to widen the cracks caused by his blast.Bleach manga; Chapter 622, pages 6-17 Aizen gathers a dense amount of his Reiatsu around himself and shoots it towards the Soul King Palace, panicking many of the Shinigami, but the attack dissipates randomly about him. Kyōraku reveals that the chair was created to cap his Reiatsu. Mayuri comes forward, revealing that he created the chair, and other technologies like it, in order to keep criminals who currently can't be killed in check. He shows Aizen the object that he uses to control the chair, mocking him for thinking he could defeat the chair specifically designed to keep his power in check. Upon learning that the researcher is in control, Aizen challenges Mayuri in pitting his technology against Aizen's power to see which would win. However, Aizen is soon interrupted by the arrival of NaNaNa Najahkoop, who uses his abilities to attack Aizen but is soon shocked that the bound prisoner does not even pass out from the attack despite being an easy, stationary target.Bleach manga; Chapter 623, pages 1-10 Five minutes later, Aizen recovers and converses with Shunsui about the Sternritter helping the Shinigami access the Soul King Palace. Upon realizing that those who stopped him are going to get to the palace before he can, Aizen notes Ichigo is a man who is hard to forgive.Bleach manga; Chapter 624, pages 1-6 Having been left behind in Seireitei by the Gotei 13, Aizen watches with interest as fragments of Lille Barro rain down from the Soul King Palace while wondering what is going on up there.Bleach manga; Chapter 654, page 7 Much later, Yhwach goes back to Soul Society, and Aizen welcomes him to his Soul Society. Yhwach destroys Aizen's chair, releasing him of his bindings, and Aizen remarks on the amount of trouble Ichigo gave Yhwach in combat up in the Soul King Palace. Yhwach replies that Aizen was the one who was defeated by Ichigo, and Aizen thanks him for freeing him from his chair, as he now has the means to stop the Quincy Emperor. Yhwach questions why it would be in Aizen's interests to defend Soul Society, and Aizen replies that this has nothing to do with interests, but is only him repelling those who would try to rule over and control him. Their conversation is then suddenly interrupted as Ichigo and Renji Abarai attack Yhwach from behind.Bleach manga; Chapter 682, pages 1-2, 12-14 After Yhwach begins attacking Ichigo, Aizen attacks him while disguised as Renji with his Bankai active, only for Yhwach to sever his left arm while deciding to crush him with his own hands. Returning to his normal form with his Zanpakutō intact, Aizen seemingly protects Renji from Yhwach, who ridicules him for this, before using Hadō #99. Goryūtenmetsu, which ruptures the ground around them and forms a large energy dragon in the air above as he rushes forward. Despite this, Yhwach merely points out that Aizen's sword is cracked before sending him hurtling back with an energy blast. When Aizen, disguised as Ichigo, appears behind him with Tensa Zangetsu, Yhwach stops his blade before pointing out how even Kyōka Suigetsu is useless before his power. After seemingly shattering Tensa Zangetsu and blowing a hole in Ichigo's torso, Yhwach prepares to destroy Soul Society; however, Aizen, having been impaled by Yhwach's hand, merely notes that Yhwach's vision of Ichigo attacking him is interesting as the real Ichigo impales and attacks Yhwach.Bleach manga; Chapter 683, pages 4-15 As Yhwach collapses into a puddle of darkness, Aizen commends Ichigo for adapting to his use of illusions so easily and explains how he had successfully used the power of Kyōka Suigetsu against The Almighty before noting that Ichigo was the final part of his plan due to the illusions not affecting him. Admitting that he never thought Ichigo's lack of exposure to his Shikai would benefit him like this, Aizen is caught off-guard when Yhwach's darkness suddenly erupts and engulfs him.Bleach manga; Chapter 684, pages 1-5 Inventions * : Aizen has stated he arrived at the conclusion of the Hōgyoku before Kisuke Urahara, though it ended in failure.Bleach manga; Chapter 416, page 5 In order to finalize the Hōgyoku, the souls of hundreds upon hundreds of Shinigami and hundreds and hundreds of Rukongai citizens who bore Shinigami potential needed to be sacrificed to it, but it still was not satisfied. According to the experimental data, Urahara's Hōgyoku was also incomplete, so Aizen decided to steal this Hōgyoku and present it to his own.Bleach manga; Chapter 416, pages 7-9 Produced as a result of Aizen's Hollowfication research, this Hōgyoku is what gave the Visored their Hollow powers. This process seems to spread as some form of infection through wounds, which only has the desired effects on souls with high amounts of Reiryoku and not souls with low amounts of Reiryoku. Those infected experience great sickness and fatigue until they vomit up a white liquid, which forms the beginnings of their Hollow mask before proceeding to transform their bodies and warp their minds. Other than this, all which is known is the process is accelerated by aggressive emotions.Bleach manga; Chapter -99, pages 1-15 The conclusive result turns a Shinigami into a primarily Hollow-like humanoid, which is a highly unstable transformation causing mindlessness and aggression.Bleach manga; Chapter -101, pages 2-7 * : This cube traps a subject in an alternate dimension from which there is no escape; however, this assumes it is being used as intended; it was meant to punish weaker Arrancar for disobeying the Espada commanding them. More powerful Arrancar, namely the Espada themselves, can escape, given enough time.Bleach manga; Chapter 278, pages 15-17 *'Hollow Research and Development': During his tenure as a Shinigami and after his defection, Aizen spent much time researching Shinigami and Hollows in order to break down the boundaries between them. Because of this, he was able to create Hollows with Shinigami-like abilities.Bleach manga; Chapter 175, page 13 He created Hollows with the ability to hide their Reiatsu like the ones who attacked Renji Abarai, Izuru Kira, and Momo Hinamori during their training,Bleach manga; Chapter -17, page 17 Hollows, like Metastacia, with the ability to shatter a Shinigami's Zanpakutō and fuse with them,Bleach manga; Chapter 135 and even a Hollow using a Shinigami's soul as a base.Bleach manga; Chapter 532, page 5 However, according to Aizen, all of these ended in failures. After his defection, he began using the Hōgyoku to create Arrancar who were far more powerful than naturally occurring Arrancar.Bleach manga; Chapter 188, pages 11-13 Aizen gave Hollow powers to a Shinigami, namely Kaname Tōsen, who gained both a Hollow's mask''Bleach'' manga; Chapter 384, page 4 and a Resurrección.Bleach manga; Chapter 386, page 2 Equipment *'Reiatsu Concealing Cloak': A cloak created by Urahara which hides the wearer's Reiatsu.Bleach manga; Chapter 101, page 20 Aizen used this cloak to sneak up and attack Isshin Shiba. Aizen states it allows the wearer to blend in with the air around them by incorporating Kidō into the cloak, almost completely concealing them from sight.Bleach manga; Chapter 532, page 1 Powers & Abilities Genius Intellect: Arguably, the most fearsome trait of Aizen is his tremendous intellect. He is well-versed in the history, strategy, and tactics of Soul Society, and is privy to knowledge unknown to many, such as the existence of the Ōken and its method of creation.Bleach manga; Chapter 223, pages 8-13 He has created several Hollows and Arrancar while avoiding any suspicion from the majority of Soul Society.Bleach manga; Chapter 175, pages 11-13''Bleach'' manga; Chapter 229, pages 14-17 For over 110 years, he had been engaging in experiments involving unique and highly dangerous manipulations of Reiryoku and Reishi, including experiments involving the Hollowfication of Shinigami, something which had never been done before.Bleach manga; Chapter -104, pages 3-4 He has an innate knowledge of the Hōgyoku, rivaling that of its creator, Kisuke Urahara, even knowing how to destroy it.Bleach manga; Chapter 175, pages 13-17''Bleach'' manga; Chapter 176, pages 19-23 He figured out the true nature of Shinji Hirako's Shikai, allowing him to counter its effect.Bleach mange; Chapter 387, pages 9-13 He effectively deduces the true nature of the Hōgyoku via trial and error of the situations which revolve around it.Bleach manga; Chapter 401 *'Master Manipulator': Aizen has proven himself very crafty and a cunning man since his public betrayal of Soul Society. He can deceive and manipulate others around him in different ways for a variety of purposes. For years, he convinced everyone around him he was a kind-hearted man with the best intentions for Soul Society while performing horrific actions.Bleach manga; Chapter 173, pages 5 & 7''Bleach'' manga; Chapter 175, pages 7-8 He has a great talent for analyzing and observing everything in his presence, allowing him to understand a person's pattern of thinking and better manipulate them. He can formulate well thought out plans several steps ahead of others, some of which have a long term in mind. His most well-known plan spans over 110 years, a great accomplishment which involved moving people around like pieces on a chessboard and making sure they played the role he had planned out for them.Bleach manga; Chapter 170, pages 10-13''Bleach'' manga; Chapter -104, pages 3-4''Bleach'' manga; Chapter -108 He is masterful at plans within plans, such as kidnapping Orihime, allowing him to use her abilities to extend the shelf life of the Hōgyoku and lure many of his enemies into Hueco Mundo to trap them, making it easier for him to accomplish the goal invading the Royal Palace.Bleach manga; Chapter 240, pages 11-16''Bleach'' manga; Chapter 314, pages 10-12 *'Master Strategist & Tactician': Aizen has proven himself to be a masterful and flexible tactician, adjusting seamlessly to any given combat situation, if not planning out events well in advance. He understands the strengths, weaknesses and mannerisms of his enemies, and creates strategies to achieve victory; this includes modifying an Arrancar for the sole purpose of defeating Captain-Commander Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, a Shinigami whose abilities surpass his own. Despite viewing his power as worlds beyond others, Aizen is highly cautious in battle, placing special protections on himself so as to leave no blind spots.Bleach manga; Chapter 388, pages 7-10 #90. Kurohitsugi.]] '''Kidō Master: Aizen has great proficiency in using Kidō spells. He is skilled enough to use Kidō without the use of their incantation; he used a Hadō #90.Kurohitsugi without incantation, proving sufficient enough to disable 7th Division Captain Sajin Komamura.Bleach manga; Chapter 176, pages 13-15 He has used Bakudō #81. Dankū to block Hadō #88. Hiryū Gekizoku Shinten Raihō from Tessai Tsukabishi, who was captain of the Kidō Corps and the most proficient Kidō master in Soul Society at the time, while Aizen himself was only a lieutenant.Bleach manga; Chapter -107, pages 14-15 Moreover, he can use Hadō #99. Goryūtenmetsu, the most powerful offensive spell of all, to great effect without an incantation.Bleach manga; Chapter 683, pages 6-7 He can produce powerful protection spells while in battle.Bleach manga; Chapter 388, pages 7-10 Shunpo Master: Aizen is so fast, opponents commonly cannot discern even being attacked by him until after it has taken place.Bleach manga; Chapter 174, page 19 Aizen can easily outmaneuver Ichigo's Bankai and Hollow mask-enhanced speed, to the point where he could casually lay a hand on Ichigo's chest and still dodge a point-blank attack.Bleach manga; Chapter 388, pages 14-16 Aizen can dodge simultaneous attacks at close-range and evade Bankai-level techniques, and even when being attacked from behind.Bleach manga; Chapter 389, page 17''Bleach'' manga; Chapter 390, pages 8-13 Master Swordsman: While the full extent of his prowess is unknown, Aizen can fight back against an opponent's Shikai and Bankai with his own blade still sealed. Aizen can perform tremendously powerful and precise strikes and cut through very sturdy targets, such as Renji's Shikai. He cut down four captains (two which used their Bankai) and four Visored (with three being former captains of Gotei 13) with ease.Bleach manga; Chapter 173, pages 12-13''Bleach'' manga; Chapters 390-392 Hakuda Master: While preferring to finish his fights quickly with his Zanpakutō or Kidō, Aizen is a highly capable unarmed fighter. Repeatedly, Aizen has caught his opponent's weapons with a single bare hand. While fighting offensively, he exhibits tremendous agility and dexterity, combining both sword and barehanded skills to simultaneously strike with his sword and kick opponents with great force.Bleach manga; Chapter 403, pages 11-12 Immense Spiritual Power: Even by captain standards, Aizen possesses a tremendous amount of Reiryoku. When Aizen noted that the Hōgyoku in its half-awakened state can be fully activated when temporarily fusing with someone with at least twice as much spiritual power as an average captain-level Shinigami, he calmly proved able to do so himself.Bleach manga; Chapter 229, page 15 He claims he is more powerful than the entire Espada.Bleach manga; Chapter 376, pages 1-2 After spending a year and a half sealed away in Muken, Aizen is considered to be far more powerful than he was before he was defeated by Ichigo Kurosaki. He can use Hadō #90. Kurohitsugi to exceedingly devastating effect without incantation and with most of his body still sealed and restrained.Bleach manga; Chapter 622, pages 16-17 His Reiatsu is violet.Bleach anime; Episode 307 His immense Reiatsu is the reason why Aizen was chosen as one of the 5 Special War Powers by the Wandenreich.Bleach manga; Chapter 662, page 9 *'Masterful Reiatsu Control': 2nd Division Lieutenant Marechiyo Ōmaeda stated Aizen's mere presence is monstrously overwhelming.Bleach manga; Chapter 316, page 7 The force of Aizen's Reiatsu is great enough to, without any effort, bring Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, the 6th Espada, to his knees.Bleach manga; Chapter 245, pages 10-11 He has stated it takes a lot for him not to "crush an ant" (referring to Renji, the Sixth Division lieutenant) in his path.Bleach manga; Chapter 173, page 3 Aizen's Reiatsu is powerful enough to nullify abilities, such as Suì-Fēng's Nigeki Kessatsu,Bleach manga; Chapter 391, pages 13-15 and remained conscious under the effects of NaNaNa Najahkoop's The Underbelly.Bleach manga; Chapter 623, page 10 His mastery of his Reiatsu can even be used a shield that can vaporize living beings within a few meters him.Bleach manga; Chapter 618, page 6 He can focus his Reiatsu to break through dense barriers that are permeated with Reishi.Bleach manga; Chapter 622, page 17 Immense Strength: Aizen is strong enough to stop the blade of Ichigo's Bankai with just one index finger (albeit Ichigo was already battle-worn from fighting Byakuya Kuchiki) and almost cut him in half with a single sword strike.Bleach manga; Chapter 174, pages 14-15 He stopped Renji Abarai's Shikai with his bare hand and broke it with one swing, injuring Renji in the process.Bleach manga; Chapter 173, pages 11-13 He stopped Komamura's Shikai with his bare hand, proving his strength is more than enough to combat someone of the same level.Bleach manga; Chapter 176, page 6 Aizen further displays his strength by cutting through the sword and wrist of Komamura's Bankai.Bleach manga; Chapter 390, page 14 Immortality: After being hit by Ichigo's Mugetsu, Aizen somewhat regenerates from the damage, though most of his new form's features have been destroyed and do not return.Bleach manga; Chapter 421, pages 10-12 He is later confirmed by Central 46 to having been left immortal by his interaction with the Hōgyoku.Bleach manga; Chapter 423, pages 2-3 He remained unfazed after being dismembered and impaled by a Soul King-empowered Yhwach.Bleach manga; Chapter 683-684 Zanpakutō : In its sealed form, it resembles a normal katana. The only decoration is the tsuba, which is a hexagon. The two sides parallel to the blade are long, whereas the four sides above and below the blade are shortened, making it into almost a diamond or prism-like shape. It has a green handle. *'Shikai': The release command is and is used to both activate and deactivate it.Bleach manga; Chapter 171, page 9 :Shikai Special Ability: The special ability of Kyōka Suigetsu is .Bleach manga; Chapter 171, page 11 It controls the five senses to the point where it can make the target misinterpret another person's form, shape, mass, feel, and smell to be an enemy's. The initiation condition for the hypnosis is to show the enemy the release of Kyōka Suigetsu. After seeing it just once, this person will completely succumb to the hypnosis. Afterwards, every time it is released, this person will fall under the thrall of the hypnosis. The hypnosis is long lasting; the Visored are still affected by Kyōka Suigetsu even though they were hypnotized at least 110 years ago. Because the spell works when one see the ritual, those who cannot see are consequently immune to the hypnosis.Bleach manga; Chapter 171, pages 12-13 When Aizen turns off the hypnosis by force of will, the image shown melts away or shatters. The complete hypnosis of Kyōka Suigetsu is absolutely flawless; even if the target is aware of being under the hypnosis, they cannot resist its influence.Bleach manga; Chapter 176, page 15 The hypnotic abilities of Kyōka Suigetsu make it a highly useful tool in combat, for Aizen can create simple or complex illusions to deceive his opponents. For example, by creating a decoy of himself, or other illusions to distract his opponents, Aizen can hide his own movements and attack with impunity. His opponent will remain focused on the illusion until it is too late to react.Bleach manga; Chapter 176, pages 12-13''Bleach'' manga; Chapter 170, pages 21-22 After the Hōgyoku disintegrates his Zanpakutō, Aizen is still able to use his illusionary powers; however, unlike the Complete Hypnosis granted by his Shikai, he does not have control over what others see and has no idea himself of what his target sees.Bleach manga; Chapter 683, pages 1-14 *'Bankai': Not Revealed. Former Powers & Abilities When Kisuke Urahara's Kidō spell, Kyūjūrokkei Kakafūmetsu, begins to seal Aizen, the Hōgyoku rejects him as its master, which leaves him without the powers it granted him.Bleach manga; Chapter 421, pages 15-18 }: After Aizen is struck by Ichigo, the Hōgyoku forces another transformation upon him, which Aizen claims occurs because it does not want him to lose to a Human.Bleach manga; Chapter 419, pages 10-11 In this form, Aizen takes on a distinctively Hollow-like form. The diamond-shaped point breaks open, revealing a vertical black third eye upon the center of Aizen's forehead, and the skin on his face splits open down the middle and pulls back around the sides of his head to reveal a blackened, demon-like skull. Aizen gains three holes running vertically down his chest, the Hōgyoku standing at the center of the top hole. Aizen's feet become single claws, and his hands and feet become blackened, with his right hand fusing with his Zanpakutō. Aizen's butterfly-like wings change into a set of six sheet-like wings, with eyes set upon the center, adorned with Hollow-like skulls, and trailing into tendrils. Aizen no longer has any semblance of clothing in this form, and his musculature becomes more defined.Bleach manga; Chapter 419, pages 6-9 * : Aizen can release bluish-purple energy spheres from the Hollow-like skulls on the top of his wings. One blast is powerful enough to create a large crater, with an accompanying explosion which creates a shockwave which can be felt miles away from the blast site.Bleach manga; Chapter 419, pages 11-15 * : Surrounding his target with his wings, Aizen uses the Hollow-like skulls atop his wings to generate a circle of bluish-purple spiritual energy around a target. Upon creation, the ring reverberates with power and solidifies, while forming three more larger solid rings in concentric formation.Bleach manga; Chapter 419, page 16 |} Weaknesses Zanpakutō Sight Impairment: Kyōka Suigetsu ability does not work on the blind or those who have not seen its release.Bleach manga; Chapter 171, page 12 Near Flawless Illusions: While the illusions Kyōka Suigetsu creates are quite powerful, those with considerable power and skill themselves may be able to note slight differences in the illusions compared to the real thing, even if they are not able to determine what exactly is different. 4th Division Captain Retsu Unohana detected something was amiss with Aizen's fake corpse, even though she did not realize what it was until seeing Aizen alive. Reiatsu Presence: The Reiatsu of Kyōka Suigetsu gives it away to those keen enough to sense its actual presence past the illusions created by its complete hypnosis.Bleach manga; Chapter 393, page 10 Touch Negation: The sole way to escape the ability of Kyōka Suigetsu is to touch the blade itself before complete hypnosis is activated. Appearances in Other Media Aizen is an unlockable character in the Bleach video games. Because he is the central antagonist, most games have Aizen as the final boss, such as in Bleach: Soul Carnival. Hadō #90. Kurohitsugi is one of Aizen's best attacks. In Bleach: Shattered Blade, Bleach: Versus Crusade, Bleach: The 3rd Phantom, Bleach: The Blade of Fate and Bleach: Dark Souls, Aizen can use other Kidō spells, such as Hadō #33. Sōkatsui and Bakudō #61. Rikujōkōrō. Aizen makes use of his Zanpakutō's abilities throughout most of the games. Aizen does not appear and is not referenced in any of the films; however, in the second OVA, he drinks coffee at the very end with Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tōsen. Aizen has his own Bleach Beat Collection, where he sings Shinsen and Kyōka Suigetsu. In Bleach: Soul Resurrección, Aizen appears in his Second, Third, and Final Fusions, but is only playable in his Third Fusion. In his forms, he can use Kidō and is the final boss in the game. Additionally, he is the only character who can move while blocking, though he is also the only character who walks and does not run. In the game, Ultrafragor, upon completion, creates a massive explosion which does heavy damage. Aizen appears in the Rock Musical Bleach shows, where his actor is Kengo Ōkuchi. Censorship *In episode 60 of the original Japanese broadcast of the anime, the blade Aizen thrust into Momo is censored. However, this was later uncensored in the Adult Swim broadcast and Viz Media's home video releases. **In the same episode, Aizen's Zanpakutō wasn't coated with blood after being removed from Momo's stomach, as it was in the manga.Bleach manga; Chapter 169, page 19 File:MomoandAizenep60censored.png|Original Japanese broadcast. File:Ep60AizenBetrayssMomo.png|Uncensored version. *Aizen slashing Ichigo on Sōkyoku Hill is toned down in the anime. In the manga, when Aizen slashes Ichigo, the former is shown using his Zanpakutō to slash Ichigo, leaving the latter missing a large portion of his stomach.Bleach manga; Chapter 174, pages 15-16 Whereas in the anime, Aizen's Zanpakutō and the missing portion of Ichigo's stomach aren't visible.Bleach anime; Episide 61 Trivia *The name of Aizen's Zanpakutō, Kyōka Suigetsu, hints at its illusionary properties; the moon reflected in water and a flower in a mirror are things which can be seen, but not held. It is a Chinese saying for seeing and desiring something which is a dream which cannot be easily grasped in hand, teaching people about temptations. *Aizen's Kyōka Suigetsu came 18th in the Zanpakutō popularity poll. Aizen himself came 23rd in the 4th character popularity poll. *Aizen had a column in the Seireitei Communication titled The Yin of the Pine Needle, which is now suspended.Bleach Bootleg, page 183 *The Shinigami Women's Association published a Photo Collection showcasing Aizen named The Smile of the Sun, but it was cancelled.Bleach Bootleg, page 28 *Aizen's theme song, as chosen by Tite Kubo, is "Stand Ablaze" by In Flames.Announced by Tite Kubo at the 2011 Bankai festival in Harujuku *In the manga Aizen cut down Hitsugaya before the latter attacked him.<''Bleach'' manga; Chapter 170, pages 19-20 In the anime however, Aizen's brief battle with Hitsugaya was extended. Hitsugaya charges at Aizen and impales him with Daigūren Hyorinmaru, only to realize he was caught in an illusion cast by Kyōka Suigetsu, before being cut down by Aizen.<''Bleach'' anime; Episode 60 Quotes References Titles Navigation de:Sōsuke Aizen es:Sōsuke Aizen id: nl:Sōsuke Aizen Category:Characters Category:Shinigami Category:Male Category:Former Shinigami Captains Category:Former Shinigami Lieutenants Category:Exiled Shinigami Category:5th Division Category:Genius Intellects Category:Gotei 13 Category:Kidō Masters Category:Master Swordsmen Category:Shunpo Masters Category:Hakuda Masters